I WAS struggling to think of a decent film Anthony Hopkins had made the other day.

Silence Of The Lambs? I hear you cry. Well, no, it was rubbish – not scary and not a patch on Manhunter.

You can stick in the Mask of Zorro, Legends of The Fall and the disastrous Freejack too.

Probably the best film he ever made was Magic, where he went mad when his ventriloquist dummy started talking to him. One sympathises; I often talk to myself as the only means of ensuring intelligent conversation.

But back to Hannibal Rising. Hopkins has rather wisely steered away from this flick, having already hammed up the cannibal to the max in Hannibal and Red Dragon.

Instead, Hannibal Rising concentrates on Dr Hannibal Lecter’s formative years giving us a glimpse into the horrors that led him to have a taste for human flesh.

Starting in Lecter Castle in Lithuania 1944, young Hannibal (Gaspard Ulliel) is forced to watch the murder of his parents who are caught in a cross fire.

The fine young cannibal is forced to hide with sister Mischa, but they are soon rumbled by a group of German mercenaries who take them captive.

The mercenaries aren’t particularly nice to their young prisoners, and when Lecter discovers their identities while studying medicine, the scene is set for vengeance.

Vengeance served with Chianti, that is – not cold.

Hannibal Rising is scripted by Thomas Harris, Hannibal’s creator, but whether or not this is a good thing, I’ll leave to you.

Ulliel also suffered much criticism for his performance, and director Peter Webber shies away from the gore, instead opting for a more methodical approach.

If like me, you’re not a fan of the franchise, this film offers little new.